


you're so much brighter than the sun to me

by wafflesofdoom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Idiots in Love, Las Vegas Wedding, Light Angst, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-09-19 06:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9422333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: after their fight at home farm, aaron and robert sit and talk, and decide a holiday in vegas is exactly what they need to sort themselves out.or, the one where their holiday of a lifetime to vegas turns out to be unforgettable for more reasons than one.





	

Robert twisted his engagement ring around his finger, his heart in his stomach as he moved to take it off. 

“Robert, you don’t have to do that.”

He could hear Aaron’s voice crack as he spoke, tears already pouring down Aaron’s face. 

“I can’t make you happy, mate. I mean literally, I _can’t_ do it.”

Before he could take the ring off however, Aaron reached out, closing his hand over Robert’s. “Please don’t do that, Robert. Because if you take it off, it’s going to be over, and it’s going to have been my fault.”

“Aaron.” Robert didn’t move, didn’t try and move Aaron’s hand off his own. “I didn’t buy these for a bit of bling. These rings are supposed to show you my commitment to you, and if you don’t believe that - whats the point?”

“I want to believe you.” Aaron shifted closer, blinking away furious tears. “But every time I see you with her, I just - I get jealous, because she can give you _everything_.”

“I don’t need what she can give me.” Robert shook his head. “God, Aaron. How else can I prove to you that you’re all I want?”

“I don’t know.”

“No, come on Aaron, what do you want from me?” Robert didn’t mean to sound so annoyed, but god, he was exhausted, and it felt like they’d been going around in circles for months now.

He just wanted it to be easier. Not easy, just, easier.

“I just want you.” Aaron said, teeth digging into the alright bitten raw skin of his lower lip. “God, Robert, I just want you.”

“You have me.” Robert said softly, moving so that he was holding Aaron’s hands tightly in his own. “I love you. Only you. Okay? I want you, and no one else, and I’m sorry if I ever make you feel anything otherwise. I don’t ever mean to, because I’ve chosen you, and I will chose you every day for the rest of my life.”

“I’ve messed this all up, haven’t I?” Aaron’s tears were only getting worse. “We’re supposed to be flying out on a holiday of a lifetime tomorrow, and I’ve just made a mess of it all. You’re right, you know - I always fuck everything up when I’m even _remotely_ happy.”

“Hey, hey - listen to me.” Robert shuffled so he was sitting on the edge of the couch, moving so he could cup Aaron’s face in his hand’s. He watched as Aaron’s eyes fluttered shut at the sensation of his engagement ring against his face, and realised just how terrified Aaron had been when Robert had moved to take it off. 

He was shaking, sitting there as though Robert’s hand’s were the only thing keeping him upright.

“Aaron, look at me.” Robert demanded.

Aaron opened his eyes, those gorgeous blue eyes of his that were always so full of emotion, good or bad. 

“You do hit self destruct when things are going well.” Robert said. “I don’t say that to be mean, Aaron. But it’s not like you can help it, eh? You’ve been put through hell and back in your life, so I can hardly blame you for not believing happiness lasts. I am so sorry I didn’t see this before, I really am.”

“I’m sorry for being so jealous.” Aaron’s hands were on Robert’s wrists now, holding him tightly. “I shouldn’t have turned up at Home Farm like that. It was unfair of me.”

“I shouldn’t have lied to you about where I was.” Robert countered. “See? We’re not so bad at this.”

“At what?”

“Honesty.” Robert couldn’t help it, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Aaron’s lips. “I didn’t mean what I said, at Home Farm. I don’t want you to ever believe that I don’t feel comfortable being with you - I don’t hate who I am, and it’s definitely not more normal to me to flirt with a woman. What’s normal to me, what’s _right_ , is being with you.”

Aaron nodded. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have gone off on you the way I did, I just - I’m still wrapping my head around it all.”

“Around me being bisexual?”

Aaron swallowed thickly. “Yeah. It’s so much easier when it’s one way or the other, I suppose.”

“Trust me.” Robert offered him a sad smile. “I know it is.”

“I’ll be better.” Aaron promised. 

“So will I.” Robert stroked his thumb across Aaron’s cheekbone, gazing at him intently. “Now, seeing as we’re being honest - do you still want to go to Vegas tomorrow? No pressure to get married or anything. I just think that maybe a holiday away from here, some time just for the two of us… It could be good.”

Aaron nodded. “I still want to go. I want you to myself for a while.”

Robert smiled. “Okay. Let’s go to Vegas then.”

 

 

 

_____

 

 

 

“I’ve never flown this far before.” Aaron admitted, shifting in his seat. They were waiting at their gate, their flight due to board in a matter of minutes. They’d been in the airport since seven am, and in the three hours since they’d wandered duty free, and gotten breakfast, Aaron’s excitement about going on holiday to Vegas had been replaced with nerves about the fifteen hour journey they had ahead of them.

Robert looked up from the magazine he was flicking through, squinting at Aaron. “You feeling alright about it?”

“Mm.” Aaron shrugged off his concern. “Might get a bit bored, if I’m honest.”

Robert grinned. “We can join the mile high club then, eh? Make use of the extra room in first class.”

“You’ve got a one track mind, Sugden.” Aaron rolled his eyes, bumping his knee against Robert’s. He was wearing a pair of tracksuit bottoms, straight up refusing to wear anything even remotely restricting on their long journey to America.

“You love it.” Robert reached over, tangling his fingers with Aaron’s. It was funny, the further they got from Emmerdale, the more at ease they seemed to feel with each other, more comfortable with casual affection.

It had been the same when they’d gone to Manchester. Robert had grabbed his hand in the hotel reception and tangled their fingers together as if it were the most normal thing in the world, pressing a kiss to his lips as they queued for coffee one afternoon like it was second nature.

One day, they’d be absolutely fine with it all - holding hands and soft kisses and hugs goodbye, and they wouldn’t have to be away from Emmerdale for it to feel normal, and every day they got to be like this, be _AaronandRobert_ , no pressure, no family, no expectations, was another day closer to the day were it wouldn’t feel like a big deal to hold Robert’s hand in the queue for coffee at Bob’s.

“At least we’re flying first class, eh? Plenty of room to stretch out and sleep.” Robert gave his hand a squeeze, smiling at Aaron affectionately. Things had felt a bit uneasy between them last night, but they’d kept talking for a while before they’d headed to bed, and it had helped.

They’d come to the unspoken conclusion that Aaron’s insecurities were so much bigger than them, than Robert, but it was something they’d deal with after their holiday. For now, they had a week in Vegas together, blissfully alone and uninterrupted, and they were going to make the most of it.

They’d come too far in the past year to give up on their relationship now.

“ _Could all remaining passengers for flight BA3472 to Las Vegas please proceed to your boarding gate. That is all remaining passengers for flight BA3472 to Las Vegas to proceed to boarding gate 5._ ”

The crackly announcement set Aaron’s nerves off again, and he didn’t move as Robert stood up, grabbing the handle of the bag he was bringing as hand luggage. It was a strange remanent of his time with Chrissie, a posh leather holdall that Aaron could never afford. 

“Aaron, you okay?”

Aaron looked up at his fiancé, the man he’d come so close to losing the previous day. Robert was looking unfairly gorgeous, considering they’d driven to Manchester at five that morning to make sure they were at the airport on time, his blonde hair neatly styled, the dark blue of the jumper he was wearing giving him the air of a put together businessman about to fly to the US to sign some major deal.

And there was him, tracksuit bottoms and a hoodie, a backpack by his feet and a packet of crisps in hand.

And Robert still wanted _him_.

Aaron was trying not to let his insecurities control him, so rather than get hung up on the stark differences in the way they were dressed that morning, he nodded, standing up and shouldering his backpack.

Robert beamed, the two of them walking side by side to join the queue to board. “In fifteen hours, it’ll just be you, me and Las Vegas. Sound good?”

Aaron returned the grin, rooting for his passport and boarding pass in the front pocket of his bag. “Sounds like the best idea you’ve ever had.”

 

 

_____

 

 

“I’ve never felt more underdressed in my life.” Aaron grumbled as Robert shoved him into the lift, rolling his eyes. 

“Aaron, we just got off a fifteen hour flight, I think you’re allowed to be underdressed.” Robert said, hitting the button for the twenty-second floor. “Stop being a grump, alright? You can impress the receptionist when we come down for dinner.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologise, just, be happy. Holiday of a lifetime, remember?” Robert leaned over, pressing their lips together. He tasted like the peanuts he’d been scoffing on the flight, and the bottle of champagne they’d cracked open in the limo on the way to the hotel, and it was just the most perfect moment of his entire life, kissing his fiancé in the lift of the Bellagio hotel in Vegas.

The doors dinged open, and they stepped out onto their floor, Robert checking the room number again before he led them both down the hallway. “This is us,” He said, stopping outside one of the rooms. “You excited?”

“Knackered, more like.” Aaron joked. “Go on, open the door.”

Robert slotted the key in the door, the light flashing green instantly, reminding him of the close to ten minutes it had taken to get the door of their hotel room in Manchester to open a few weeks previously. 

Stepping inside the room, Robert’s eyes widened at the view. He hadn’t realised Rebecca had managed to pull quite so many strings for them - the Las Vegas strip and was laid out in front of them, the flashing lights and fountains lighting up their window. 

“Wow.” Robert heard himself say, looking over his shoulder to gauge Aaron’s reaction. 

Aaron was dumbfounded. He’d never dreamed he’d ever even get to Las Vegas, never mind stay in a hotel room like this, all plush cushions and expensive furniture, a view of the strip from the bed. 

“Robert, this is amazing.” Aaron looked around in wonder, taking in their surroundings. The room was decorated in shades of blue, offsetting the dark wood furnishings, the floor to ceiling windows framed by a set of white and blue curtains.

“You deserve amazing.” Robert set his bag down on the couch in the corner of the room, his suitcase standing next to it. Tossing his jacket aside, he crossed the room, closing the short space between them so he could stand with Aaron, both of them gazing out the window.

“So do you.” Aaron replied, looking up at Robert. It’s not like there was a particularly significant height different between them, but there were rare moments when it felt more pronounced, moments where all Robert wanted to do was hold Aaron close and never let the younger man go, protect him from a world that had been so cruel to him in twenty five short years. 

“Y’know,” Robert smirked, his hands already moving to tug Aaron’s jumper over his head. “I think this might end up being the best view we’ve ever had while having sex.”

“Should I be offended that I’m not your favourite view, or?” Aaron feigned seriousness, already unbuckling Robert’s belt, popping open the button of his jeans.

“Course you are. But the Vegas strip is outside that window and it’s _kind of_ epic.” Robert pushed at Aaron’s shoulders, directing him toward the gigantic bed behind them. 

“Mm, you’ll have to take a picture then.”

“What, make a sex tape?”

Aaron rolled his eyes, shoving a palm against Robert’s face. “Take a picture of the view, you div.”

Robert pressed his lips to Aaron’s jawline, smirking against his skin. “We need to christen this bed properly first.”

 

 

______

 

 

“You look amazing.” Robert commented as Aaron stepped out of the bathroom, wearing some of the new clothes he’d bought for their trip. The dark grey button up he was wearing flattered Aaron’s dark features, making the blue of his eyes look brighter.

_Jesus, was he trying to be a soppy Valentines card or something?_

“Yeah, alright.” Aaron rolled his eyes, grabbing his phone and wallet. “I’m starving, come on. You’ve already made us late enough.”

Robert glanced at his watch. It was close to ten o’clock, more than two hours after they’d landed. “I didn’t hear you complaining.”

“Just wanted ya to hurry up so I could have a shower.” Aaron smirked, the two of them leaving their room and heading to the lift. “You promised me steak.”

“The steakhouse here is supposed to be amazing.” Robert confirmed. 

“We’re going to be bankrupt by time we go home.” Aaron commented, his voice lower than usual. The lift was busier this time, five or six people standing alongside them.

Robert wrapped an arm around his shoulders, tugging him close. “At least we’ll be poor and happy.” 

 

_____

 

 

“Alright Dingle, first day in Las Vegas. What are we doing?” 

“I thought you organised everything.” Aaron called from the bathroom, his words muffled by his toothbrush.

“The Grand Canyon is organised for Wednesday, Cirque is tomorrow night. I can’t do everything for ya.”

“Some fiancé you are.” Aaron spat a glob of toothpaste into the sink, reaching for the mouthwash. “Might as well just wander around for a bit, see what else there is to do here.”

“I could go for a coffee.” Robert suggested.

“We just had breakfast.”

“Yeah, but I really want to check out this Miracle Mile place, and I figured you’d shut up and let me go shopping for a while if I bought you one of those ridiculous sugary drinks from Starbucks you pretend you don’t like.”

Aaron emerged from the bathroom, rolling his eyes. “We’re not even here twenty four hours and you want to go shopping?”

“Las Vegas is _renowned_ for its shopping, Aaron.”

“You’ve got an addiction.” Aaron shrugged on a hoodie. “Go on then. You’d want to buy me some really good lunch though, for putting up with you shopping.”

“I’m not that bad."

“There’s a reason I go shopping alone, Rob.”

 

 

_____

 

 

Aaron was happy. Aaron felt stupidly happy as he sat on the pool terrace with Robert, a beer in hand, the sun shining brightly. “I’m glad we came.” He commented, spinning the beer bottle around in his hands.

“Hm?”  


“I’m glad we came to Vegas, in the end.” Aaron said. “I know - I know that everything that happened Thursday was weird, and I am sorry for being so jealous, but I’m glad we came anyway.”

“The time away from Emmerdale has been good for us.” Robert agreed, reaching across the table for Aaron’s hand, rubbing his thumb across Aaron’s engagement ring. 

Aaron smiled. “Finally managed to get on holiday, just the two of us.”

“I mean, _technically_ I did only postpone Barcelona, we could go in the summer.” Robert shrugged, squinting at Aaron. “We do need to spend more time together, just you and me.”

“I know. It’s just hard sometimes, you know? We’ve got the businesses, and Liv, and….”

“It’s a lot.” Robert agreed. “But I think Thursday showed just how much we do actually need to make time for each other. Otherwise everything is just going to keep blowing up on us, and I don’t want that.”

“I don’t want that either.” Aaron looked down at their intertwined fingers. “I’ve been thinking about going back to counselling.”

“Yeah?” Robert couldn’t hide the happiness in his voice at Aaron’s admission.

“I probably needed to go back a long time ago.” Aaron said, squeezing Robert’s hand. “It’s not going to be easy, Rob.”

“Nothing worthwhile ever is.” Robert quipped, leaning across the table to kiss him. “You fancy taking these up to our room and making use of the few hours we’ve got until Cirque tonight?”

Aaron couldn’t help the grin that appeared on his face. “It's like you can read my mind.”

 

 

_____

 

 

“That was unbelievable.” Aaron was open mouthed as they left the theatre, the show over. “I didn’t think I’d like it that much.”

“It was fantastic.” Robert agreed, pulling Aaron toward the casino. 

“I didn’t know people could bend that way.” 

“Mm, you could have given them a run for their money earlier.” Robert smirked, wrapping an arm around Aaron’s shoulders and pulling him close. He closed the last remaining inches of space between them, kissing him.

Kissing Aaron was his favourite thing in the world to do. Robert would be perfectly content to kiss him from now until forever, the scratchy feeling of Aaron’s beard against his chin, the way his lips felt against his own..

It was addictive.

“I would actually like to go to a casino once while we’re here.” Aaron murmured as they broke apart, still in the lobby of the hotel. 

“What, getting to have me not enough luck for ya?” 

“Not a chance. Come on, I heard they’ll give you a load of free drink to try make you cough up more money.” Aaron said eagerly, untangling himself from Robert and heading for the casino.

“Just wait until they realise we’re skint.” Robert commented, his hands in the pockets of his trousers as they walked. There was no malice to his words, no ill intent - just good natured teasing and a reluctance to follow Aaron into the casino, purely because it would be it would be hours before they were alone again. 

Aaron flashed him a grin over his shoulder. “Good thing you act like you aren’t then, eh?” 

 

 

_____

 

 

They were drunk. It was three am and they were trying to open their hotel room door, and they were drunk. 

“Stop, I’ll never get the door open if you’re distracting me!” Robert hissed, dropping their room key as Aaron mouthed at his neck, his fiancé holding onto him for dear life.

“I’m just happy.” Aaron suddenly snorted. “I can’t believe I won four hundred quid playing roulette and you couldn’t even win a fiver on the slot machines.”

Robert rolled his eyes, bending to grab the plastic key card off the floor. “I still think you were flirting with the croupier.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow. “Good thing she wasn’t my type then, eh?”

“What is your type?” Robert asked softly, finally getting the door open, the two of them stumbling into their room. 

“Don’t have one.” Aaron answered honestly. “I have got a fiancé though, proper smarmy bloke. Thinks he’s gods gift to the world.”

“Oh, does he?”  


“Yup.” Aaron knotted his hands in the lapels of Robert’s blazer, a new one he’d bought on their shopping trip the previous day. “He is gorgeous though. All blonde hair, and blue eyes - and freckles.”

“The freckles do it for you?”

“Mm.” Aaron grazed his lips against Robert’s. “And he’s kind, when he wants to be. Proper flash too, brought me on this mad holiday to Vegas because he remembered I mentioned how much I’d love to go once.”

“When we were in Wales.” Robert offered, thinking back to the trip they’d taken with Liv. 

“When we were in Wales.” Aaron confirmed. “No one else gets to have the Robert I do. Think that’s what I like the most.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I get to have the Robert that is honest, and loving, and would do anything to make me happy.” Aaron guided Robert toward the bed, stopping just short of pushing him down onto it. “ **My** Robert puts up with all my shit, though I can’t really understand why.”

“Because I love ya.” Robert said softly, his gaze so open, and honest, and raw, and full of endless love that it was scary. It was scary to know that Robert loved him as much as Aaron loved him, because if this didn’t work, if they couldn’t make it work, it would break the two of them.

“And I love you, Robert Sugden.” Aaron replied, fingers deftly undoing the knot on Robert’s tie, tossing it to the floor. “So let’s get married.”

“What?”  


“I said, let’s get married. You said it yourself, we love each other, so why wait?” Aaron looked at Robert hopefully. “I can’t promise I’m going to be better in a month, or six months, or a year. There’s a lot going on in my head I don’t understand, and I might never fix it all, and I don’t want to wait forever to marry you. I want to marry you, and I want to do it tomorrow, like we planned.”

Robert cupped the back of Aaron’s head with his hand, pulling him closer. Aaron could feel Robert’s breath on his face, feel the way his heart was rapidly beating, the excitement rolling off his fiancé in waves. 

“I want to marry you too, Aaron - but not if it’s for the wrong reasons. Not if you’re only doing this because you’re jealous, or whatever.”

“You want to know why I’m suggesting it?” Aaron didn’t budge. “I’m doing this because when I was eighteen and people found out I was gay, I tried to kill myself because I was so scared I would _never_ get to be happy. That I’d never have what other people had, marriage and a house, and a dog, and a family. I hated who I was for so long, and I fucked up, and I had my heart broken - and I broke Ed’s heart. And then you came along.”

Robert wasn’t sure what to say.

“You came along and you changed everything.” Aaron breathed against Robert’s jaw. “We’ve been to hell and back, Rob, but I’d do it all again if I had to, because you make me happy. I don’t tell you that enough, but you make me happy - the kind of happy I didn’t think I’d ever have when I locked myself in that car and waited to _die_.”

“God, Aaron.” Robert’s voice cracked. “I hate that you had to go through all that.”

“I don’t.” Aaron shrugged. “Everything that happened led me to you in the end, didn’t it?”

Robert’s grip on Aaron’s waist tightened, the hand on the back of his head possessive.He took a deep breath, swallowing the tears that had started to form at Aaron’s words. “I love you, more than I have ever loved anyone in my entire life. That’s a fact. I only want you. I want you forever, Aaron.”

“So are we going to do it then? Get married?”

“I never cancelled our booking at the chapel.” Robert admitted. “Four o’clock tomorrow suit ya?”  


Aaron grinned, shoving Robert back onto the bed. “Don’t you dare be late.”

 

 

_____

 

 

 

“There’s too many fucking pillows on this bed.” Aaron groaned, his face shoved into the mattress. He reached out blindly, chucking a handful of the pillows to the floor, happier now he had more space.

Robert laughed, reaching out to run a hand through Aaron’s sweaty hair. “It’s our wedding day.” He murmured softly, his heart racing as he said the words.

Aaron’s eyes flew open, a smile appearing on his face. “Not too late to back out.” 

“I’ll take my chances, thanks.” Robert kissed him, wincing at the taste, Aaron’s expression mirroring his own. “That’s what we get for drinking all sorts last night.”

“It was free.” Aaron yawned, wrapping himself around Robert’s naked torso, tucking his head in the space between Robert’s neck, and shoulder. 

“You were enjoying the cocktails, don’t lie.”

“They weren’t bad.”

“Wait until we go home and I tell Adam that your new favourite drink is a Bellini.” Robert smirked, running his hands through Aaron’s curls. 

Aaron pinched Robert’s stomach, making the older man groan. “Do that, and you can find someone else to marry today.”

“I mean, it’s Vegas, it’s probably the one place I _would_ be able to find someone else to marry on such short notice.” 

Aaron’s eyes narrowed. 

“I’m only messing. You’re the only one I want Aaron… _Sugden_.”

“In your dreams.” 

“I’ll wear you down eventually, deed polls are easy to sort out.”

“Then you can apply to be Robert Dingle when we land back home on Thursday.”

Robert scrunched up his nose. “Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, does it?”  


“How about we just keep our own names then?” Aaron rolled his eyes.

“We could go for double-barrelled.” Robert said, his hand still working gently through Aaron’s hair. “Sugden-Dingle doesn't sound half bad, does it?”

Aaron was quiet for a second. “Suppose. A lot of faff though, to change our names.”

“Lot of paperwork involved when you get married.” Robert said. “Joint bank accounts, house deeds..”

“Who said we’re getting a joint bank account? Don’t need you spending my money as well as your own.”

“More like you spending my money on pints for Adam.” Robert teased, earning himself another pinch.

“Can we do all the boring stuff when we get home?” Aaron suggested, moving so that he was looking at Robert properly, his chin resting on Robert’s chest. 

“If your mum doesn’t murder me first.”  


“My mum? Vic is going to have your guts for garters when you tell her you went and married me behind her back!” 

Robert groaned. “Diane’ll kill us and all.”

“You getting cold feet?”

“Nah. Never would, with you.” Robert said, running his hands down Aaron’s sides, revelling in the shiver it caused.

“I can’t wait to marry ya.” Aaron admitted, flushing slightly at his admission. He'd been so much more comfortable with being honest the previous night, the alcohol in his system making it so much easier to talk.

“I can’t wait to marry you either.”

 

 

_____

 

 

Aaron was nervous as he stood outside the Chapel of the Flowers, waiting for Robert to arrive. He’d insisted on meeting Aaron there, claiming he had something he needed to do first. 

It was ten minutes until they were due to get married, and Robert still wasn’t there.

“You look like you’re about to be sick.” 

Aaron looked up and couldn’t help but smile as he saw Robert. Robert was wearing a blue suit not unlike Aaron’s own, the pristine white shirt he’d spent close to twenty minutes ironing earlier than afternoon showing off his slim torso.

The cheap sunglasses Aaron had bought them both were perched on the bridge of his nose, and it made Aaron grin, because he knew Robert had an expensive pair of Raybans shoved in the bottom of his suitcase.

“You’re late.”

“I told you I had something to do.” Robert reached into his pocket, producing the fifty pence coin they’d flipped the previous week. “I got it engraved, like you wanted.”

Aaron took the coin from him, looking at the engraving carefully. It’s not like there was much space to engrave on the coin, but just below the royal seal that took up most of the coin, there was an engraving.

 

_19/01/2017,_ on one side, and _a &r forever _on the other. 

 

Closing his fist around the coin, Aaron looked at Robert. “Thank you.”

“I wanted to get our rings engraved,” Robert admitted, reaching out to fix Aaron’s slightly crooked tie. “But I figured you’d noticed if I took your ring off you. We could still do it, if you’d like - there’s a jewellers in the hotel.”

Aaron nodded. “Yeah. Let’s do that.” 

“You excited?” Robert was finally happy with the state of Aaron’s tie. 

“Most excited I’ve ever been.”

“Lets do this then.” Robert reached out and linked his fingers with Aaron’s, holding tightly to his hand as they stepped into the chapel. “Uh, Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle?”  


“You’re right on time.” The wedding planner beamed. “My name is Elena, I’ll be your coordinator today. You emailed ahead and said you’d like white flowers, right?”

“ _Flowers_?” Aaron hissed.

“White is perfect.” Robert ignored him, sticking his sunglasses in the inside pocket of his suit, watching as Elena produced two simple white buttonholes. “What, you thought I wasn’t going to do this properly?” He asked, grabbing one of the flowers to pin to Aaron’s suit jacket.

Aaron let him do it, his stomach in knots as he looked at the flower. It’s not like he’d never worn one before, he’d been to countless weddings over the years - but this was **his** wedding day. 

It felt different. 

“You two have decided to write your own vows, yes?”

Aaron nodded. It was something they’d discussed after the coin flip, Robert wanting to write their own vows purely because he felt they’d be more sincere - Aaron only felt comfortable doing it because it was just going to be the two of them.

Elena smiled. “And you want to walk down the aisle together?”

“If thats possible.”

“Anything is possible, it’s your wedding day.” Elena offered them both a sincere smile. “The ceremony itself will be short and sweet, about ten to fifteen minutes depending on how long your vows are. The ceremony itself will be recorded and posted on our website for about a month, and you’ll be given a copy of the video. Once you guys have been hitched, we’ll take a few photos and you’ll be all done. This is Carlos, he’s going to be your minister today.”

They greeted the friendly looking minister. “You guys want a civil ceremony, right?”  


Robert nodded. “Please.”

“Alright then. Lets get you two married!” 

There was a couple of more minutes of faffing about before Aaron and Robert were standing at the start of the aisle, the music just beginning.

“You ready for this?” Robert nudged.

Aaron smiled at him. “Start walking, Sugden, or I’ll leave you at the altar.”

It was strange, walking down the aisle of a virtually empty room, but as the ceremony began, it felt right, like this was the perfect moment for them to get married. 

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the strength of your love, and witness you come together in marital union. Aaron, and Robert - you have found that special someone to love and trust with heart, mind and soul. You have found someone to support you in good times, and in bad, through all the happy times that are to come your way in this life, as well as the more trying times you’ll have together. That support, the love that you two share, is something special, and it is something to be celebrated.” 

Robert squeezed Aaron’s hands tightly as they listened to the minister.

“Marriage is not an easy path. Life comes with it’s troubles and hard times, but those tough days are made worth it when you have days like today - days when you get to celebrate the love you two share together. There are many days like today to come for you both, days when the love you share is the most important thing in the room. Now, you have elected to say your own vows, so Robert, if you would please begin.”

Robert swallowed nervously. “Aaron. I’ve told you this before, but I never set out to fall in love with you - I met you, and you changed my entire life for the better. I am a better person when I’m with you, and I think everyone is grateful for that. I promise you that I will always do my best to be the man you deserve, someone you can be proud to callyour husband. I promise to always be honest with you, and I promise to try and get on with your family, and I promise you that I’m only ever going to want you. I love you, _only_ you - and I promise I will always love you the way I love you today, endlessly, infinitely, absolutely.”

“I’m not good with words. You’re the one who’s always been good with words.” Aaron admitted. “You’re not the first person I’ve ever loved, but I promise you Robert, you’ll be the last. I’m not an easy person to be with, so I promise that I’ll try - I’ll try to be more open, and honest with you about how I feel. I promise that I will always stand by you, even when you’re being an idiot. I promise to never regret making you chose me, because I do love ya - more than I have the words for, actually, so I promise I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to show you just how much you mean to me.”

“The marriage ring seals the vows of marriage and represents a promise for eternal and everlasting love. Robert, Aaron - if you would like to exchange rings please, and repeat this - I chose you, above all others, to be my husband. I offer this ring as a token of our love, and with it I join my life to yours.”

Robert nodded, letting go of Aaron’s hand to root in his pocket for his ring. They’d swapped before the ceremony started, the two of them feeling instantly strange without the metal bands on their fingers.

“Aaron, I chose you, above all others, to be my husband. I offer this ring as a token of our love, and with it, I join my life to yours.” Robert said, pushing the still slightly too big ring onto Aaron’s finger.

Aaron swallowed thickly, producing Robert’s ring from his pocket. “Robert, I chose you, above all others, to be my husband. I offer this ring as a token of our love, and with it, I join my life to yours.”

It took a second for him to push Robert’s ring past his knuckle, the band fitting him a little _too_ well, all things considered. 

“Thats never coming off again.” Aaron mumbled, making the scare few in attendance laugh.

“We who have come together today have heard the willingness of Aaron and Robert to be joined in marriage. They have come of their free will and in our presence, have declared their love and commitment to each other. They have given and received a ring as a symbol of their promises. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the laws of the state of Nevada, I take great pride and pleasure as I declare them husband and husband. You may kiss your groom.”

That was it.

They were _married._

Robert couldn’t help himself, and he grabbed Aaron’s face, tugging him close so he could plant an overly excited, open mouthed kiss on his lips. “God, I love you Aaron.”

Aaron beamed. “Love you too, _Mr Dingle._ ”

 

 

____

 

 

“Wait a second.” Robert stopped dead in the lobby of the hotel, his gaze flickering toward the jewellers.

“Robert, we’ve only been married five minutes, why are you trying to annoy me already?” 

“I want to get our rings engraved, now.” Robert jerked his head toward the jewellers. “I don’t ever want us to forget today.”

“I’m never going to forget our wedding day, Rob.” 

“It means more though, getting it done today.” Robert didn’t wait for a response, tugging Aaron into the jewellers. “Hi. We’re looking to get our wedding rings engraved?”

_ Wedding rings. _

They weren’t engagement rings, not anymore. 

“Of course sir, what would you like engraved?”

Aaron let Robert talk, watching as Robert scrawled the correct spelling of their names on a sheet of paper, making a sarky comment about writing the date in the correct format ( _day, month, year please_ ), his hand never leaving Aaron’s.

Until he went to take his ring off, that is.

“What are you doing?” Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“We’ve got to give him the rings to get them engraved, you dolt.” Robert rolled his eyes, setting his wedding ring down on the counter, Aaron reluctantly following suit. “Ten minutes, and then we’re **never** taking them off again. Promise.”

Aaron nodded. “Okay.”

“Let’s go get some champagne.” Robert decided. “We can order room service and celebrate properly.”

“I’m only getting room service on my wedding day?” Aaron said, the two of them walking toward the bar. 

“I don’t think they’d appreciate you being naked in a restaurant.” Robert said, moving to kiss Aaron again. He’d been doing a lot of that since they’d gotten married barely an hour previously, practically surgically attached to Aaron’s lips. “And you, Mr Sugden, are not leaving that hotel room for the rest of the evening, if I’ve got a say in the matter.”

Aaron grinned. “Better order two bottles of champagne then, Mr Dingle.”

 

 

____

 

 

It was hours later when they finally got their hands off each other, wrapped up in tangled bedsheets, eating the chocolate cake Robert had order with their room service. 

The curtains were wide open, the Las Vegas strip twinkling below them, the Bellagio fountain coming to life every few minutes, putting on a spectacular show. It was like something out of a dream, something out of a ridiculous romantic film.

“Was today everything you wanted it to be?” Robert asked, the two of them sitting against the headboard, every inch of their bodies touching as they tucked into the cake, an empty bottle of champagne decorating one of the bedside tables.

“Everything and more.” Aaron confirmed, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I can’t believe we actually did it. Got married, I mean.”

Robert pressed a chocolatey kiss to the corner of Aaron’s mouth. “Day one of our big adventure.”

“You’re so cheesy.” Aaron rolled his eyes. 

“You love it though.” Robert said, reaching for his phone. “C’mere, I want to take a picture.”

Aaron looked at him incredulously. “Naked in bed, eating cake?”  


“Have to commemorate our wedding cake.” Robert said, switching the camera to selfie mode, laughing as Aaron pulled a ridiculous face, a forkful of cake halfway to his mouth. “You look happy."

“I am.”

“No, I mean - you look _really_ happy.” Robert’s tone was one of wonder. 

“I am.” Aaron repeated firmly, setting the cake aside, reaching for Robert’s phone. “I think you’ve taken enough photos today.”

“It’s our wedding day!”

“And I’d rather your mobile _wasn’t_ a part of our wedding night.”

 

 

____

 

 

“Whats brought you two out to Las Vegas then?” The pilot asked, his voice sounding far away and crackly over the headphones they were wearing.

Robert glanced over to Aaron, who practically had his face pressed against the window, despite them being nowhere near the Grand Canyon just yet. “It’s our honeymoon.”

Aaron turned to look at Robert, grinning. “Yup. Honeymoon.”

“Well, congrats you two.” The pilot grinned. “The Grand Canyon will be coming up on your left in a couple of seconds.”

Robert pressed himself close to Aaron, the two of them gazing out the window, waiting for their first proper glimpse of the Grand Canyon. In a matter of seconds, the helicopter rounded a corner, and they got the most insane view of the Grand Canyon.

“This is amazing.” Aaron was glued to the glass, his eyes flickering left and right. “God, Rob - I am never going to forget this.”

“Good.” Robert murmured softly, pressing a kiss to Aaron’s hoodie clad shoulder before returning his gaze to the Canyon, half listening to the commentary their pilot was giving.

It was shaping up to be the perfect last day in Vegas they could ask for.

 

 

____

 

 

“Rob, c’mere.” Aaron called. “I want a photo overlooking the Canyon.”

Huffing out a breath, Robert walked the last few metres to where Aaron was standing, overlooking the distinctive red stone. He couldn’t help himself as he approached, snapping a picture of Aaron as he leaned against the glass of the skywalk. 

“Smile.” 

“No, you get in too. Use those stupidly long arms of yours for summat.”

Robert rolled his eyes, but stood next to Aaron, lifting his phone to snap a selfie of the two of them. Maybe it was Aaron being absolutely love-drunk post their wedding, or maybe it was the whole holiday of a lifetime thing, but he was so much more willing to take photos over the past few days.

“Would you like me to take a picture of you two?”

Robert looked up at the kindly voice. One of the other tourist that had been on their helicopter tour was standing near them, offering them a genuine smile. “Yeah, that’d be great thanks.” He passed the woman his phone, slinging an arm around Aaron’s shoulders, grinning at the camera.

“Congratulations, by the way. I heard you say to the pilot this was your honeymoon.”  


“Thanks.” Aaron replied, giving her his best gruff smile, taking Robert’s phone back from her. “It’s a nice one.” 

Robert looked at the picture. “You going to let me put that one on Facebook?”  


“I only said no to the picture you _claim_ is of your wedding cake, I really don’t need my mum seeing that one.”

“You look _very_ sexy in that picture!” 

“And its for your eyes only, yeah? Come on, I want to see the rest of the Canyon.”

Aaron’s excitement was infectious, and despite how exhausted he felt, Robert continued to follow his husband (his husband!) along the skybridge, enjoying the faint January sun on his skin, the sunglasses Aaron had bought him finally turning out to be a useful purchase after a dull few days.

This, Robert decided ( _just like he’d decided a hundred other times since they’d gotten married_ ) was the happiest moment of his entire life.

Definitely this **very** moment, with Aaron happy and their entire future stretched out ahead of them, like an endless bright and sunny day. 

 

 

_____

 

 

Reality had started to hit them as they waited in Dallas for their connecting flight, the British Airways plane that would take them back to the real world, their lives in Emmerdale, and the soon to come fallout of their wedding.

“How are we going to tell them?” Aaron asked, taking a swig of the coffee he’d grabbed as they passed through duty free.

“I had an idea for that, actually.” Robert said, glancing down at his phone. He’d uploaded a few random photos from their trip to Facebook while they waited out their layover, likes and comments already flooding in. 

“Alright, scare me.”

“Upload this to Facebook.” Robert showed Aaron the picture he was talking about. It was a selfie they’d taken outside the chapel on Monday, the two of them in matching suits and sunglasses, looking stupidly happy and holding up a marriage certificate between them.

“Really? You want to tell them all we got married by putting a picture on Facebook?”  


“It’ll give them about eleven hours to process the news.” Robert said. “Might take the edge off the reaction.”

“Alright then, do it. Let me see what you’re saying first though, soppy git.”

Robert grinned, already setting about typing a quick status. “This alright with you?”  


Aaron scanned the screen, smiling at the photo.

_Holiday of a lifetime in more ways than one. Leaving Vegas with plenty of pictures and a husband! - with Aaron Dingle._

“Mum’s going to kill you.” Aaron said, pressing upload on the photo.

Robert’s phone instantly buzzed to life, and he winced at the noise, turning it on silent, before changing his mind and turning it off entirely. “We’ll deal with it in eleven hours.”

Aaron snorted. “I’m going to tell them it was all your idea.”

 

 

____

 

 

Aaron and Robert stood outside the doors of the Woolpack, their mobiles still turned off, the usual late evening noise drifting out the doors. 

“You ready to face the music?” Robert asked, a nervous look on his face. 

Aaron reached out, intertwining their fingers together tightly, moving to nudge open the door with his shoulder. “Let’s do it, Dingle.”

**Author's Note:**

> it's amazing what procrastinating on college work can achieved. i kid, i kid (mostly.) 
> 
> however much i adore (and i adore!!!!!! where they're going with the storyline at the moment) i do genuinely love the idea of aaron and robert getting married in vegas, and this ended up sort of writing itself in the end. it's probably abundantly clear i've never been to vegas, so i blame any inaccuracies on google.
> 
> as always, i'm robertsuggles over on tumblr if you ever want to chat about emmerdale!


End file.
